dondo
11-23-2013, 01:56 PM
That was some good hockey. Good to get a solid win, but mainly because players were finishing checks, standing up for team mates and playing more complete games. Also good to see players I have been doubting step up their games and get some production.
Giants Crack Thunderbirds
Vancouver 6 Seattle 3
The Giants opened the first period a bit softly as they allowed an early goal to drift in from the point, but from then on they pulled up the big boy pants and went to work. Tying up the game as few minutes after giving up a marker to the visitors, the boys continued to work at both ends of the ice. The period was evenly contested. In the second the Giants stepped their game up to another level. Scoring two goals before giving one up and adding two more before the end of the period. The T-Birds swapped goalies in the intermission, but the Giants scored again early in the period. Late in the period the T-Birds used multiple 5 on 3 chances to find the net. The G-Men held on only allowing that one goal despite multiple chances gifted to the opposing squad.
The Thunderbirds opened the scoring drifting a shot through traffic from the point and finding twine. The Giants responded a few minutes later when Rob Trzonkowski tipped a Dalton Sward shot past Danny Mumaugh, with Thomas Foster getting the other helper. In the second it was all Giants. Trace Elson scored his first goal of his campaign with the Giants assisted by Carter Popoff and Jackson Houck. A minute and a bit later Popoff and Houck assisted on Brett Kulak’s 10th goal of the season. Seattle got one back, but it didn’t faze the G-Men from battling back. Luca Leone found the back of the net with his first goal of the season, picking the short-side on Mumaugh. Tyler Morrison and Trent Lofthouse garnered the extra points on Leone’s goal. Joel Hamilton bumped his scoring slump to cap off a very prolific period for the home town squad. Cain Franson had the lone helper on the play.
7:18 into the third Jackson Houck found twine powering a beauty from the high slot past Justin Myles. Some great checking work by Popoff in the corner separating the player from the puck gave him the freedom to slide it behind the net where Elson made a quick pass to Houck. On the downside of the third the refs who had been good for most of the game decided to pile on some pretty soft calls giving the visitors multiple over-lapping two man advantages, which thankfully resulted in only a single goal for the Seattle squad. A nice goal at the side of the net freezing the goalie and then slipping the puck behind him and into the net on the short side. The Giants had to weather a few more minutes of 2 man dis-advantage before settling into shutdown mode. The Gs thankfully continued to pressure the puck and did not give the visitors another really good sniff at the net and when they did Jared Rathjen was solid between the pipes. It could have been an ugly finish, but the boys played hard to the last minute and that is all you can ask at the end of the day.
Everybody Out of the Doghouse: Players I have been ragging on as of late played their way out of my doghouse in this one. I am hoping it’s a trend and not just an anomaly. Luca Leone who I had high hopes for coming out of camp has been less than tenacious and basically taking up a roster spot for the most of the games. Tonight he not only scored his first goal of the season, but I noticed him more than I have in any home game so far. Highly touted Junior B sniper Trace Elson has been reportedly buzzing the offensive zone as of late and although I have seen flashes of that I doubted his ability to finish at this level. Elson showed some puck sense tonight with a good goal and a sharp assist, but I also noticed him at the top of the blue-paint, going to the net and providing the screen. He was more than just fast skates tonight. Joel Hamilton is mostly a beige player to me, but he as well had some jump tonight and some good offensive forays. He should be scoring more though as we are currently carrying a lot of 19 yr old forwards and I for one would rather keep the bigger guys for the bottom two lines. I would also like to see our younger skill players playing top six minutes, rather than being shuffled down the line-up due to older players filling some spots. It’s the way of the Dub.
Team Notes: Tim Traber was out of the line-up suspended 1 game for his actions 4 seconds into the Spokane tilt. Rob Trzonkowski was finally healthy enough to be slotted back into the line-up. I feel for the guy. He has size, speed and decent mobility, but has been injury-prone for the better part of the past two seasons. I am hoping he stays healthy and becomes a regular addition to the nightly line-up as he brings a physical element we need.
Rookie Watch: I still want to see Ronning find some real puck hunger. I see flashes of what he has to offer and as a 16 yr old of course I have to be patient, but he has a skill set that is undeniable. I would like to see him pull a page out of the Gallagher book and become not only fearless, but irritatingly tenacious. Elson had a goal and an assist and was doing more little things without the puck out there – including sticking up for his teammates.
Euro Watch: Osipov continues to be scratched and will never learn our game if he doesn’t get to play. That said, he needs to force Hay to play him and give him that chance. The Giants had pretty much the top euro pick and yet there is more press about Benson than what should be a player on everybody’s radar. I keep hearing that Osipov was the KHL first over-all pick and to that I have to say bullshyte. If he was then he would be on the radar of every prospect pundit in the country and yet I have never heard his name outside of the team, before or since. With our pick we should have got a real dominant amazing player, think Meszaros as a 17 yr old as a starting place. I think our scouting has been completely boondoggled. Osipov does not bring an elite game to the ice or even the potential for an elite game. I don’t know what player our scouts watched or if they trusted some hear-say, but this is not the player you pick that high in the euro draft. Eder has been sent back to Munich to hone his game and his hunger. I’m not sure how more soft floaty euro hockey is going to do that, but there it is. Another very suspect pick for near a top pick in the second round.
Import Drafting: It greatly disturbs me the players we got in this years import draft. It can’t be all the threat of a date with Hay that is shying away potential prospects. Our euro drafting has been gawd awful for multiple seasons now and it is past time to completely over-haul our import scouting as we keep getting whiny players not willing to work at this level showing up (being drafted). Caspar Carning was a prime example of a bump in the road lazy player lacking the skill he should have had. He fled for home when it was clear he would have to work hard for his spot and in practice. It feels to me like we have scouts who aren’t actually scouting but calling around and trusting those they should not be trusting to make their decisions for them. If there is a question then go with an already NHL drafted 18 yr old prospect whose team wants him to learn the North American game. It’s clear that our scouting has no clue what a potential player looks like and taking a project import player and stuffing him into the Don Hay blender is just asking for trouble. We are one of the few franchises in the entire CHL who have the resources, infrastructure and where-withal to entice elite players to come to play here. There is no reason that we should not have been able to draft a Yakupov/Ovechkin like player in this years draft and instead we get Osipov. Seriously what is broken? Who needs to get fired?
Fight Night: Some good tilts tonight. Trace Elson v. Jared Hauf - Hauf made an open ice hit on Ronning (clean but hard by my reckoning) and Elson challenged the huge forward to a bout in which Elson was quickly demolished, but that wasn’t the point. Elson seems to be showing those leadership qualities he had being captain on the Wolverines in the AJHL. Another unlikely combatant Thomas Foster v. Scott Eansor – Foster caught the smaller Eansor with two quick solid connections and down he went. Arvin Atwal v. Jaimen Yakubowski - Yakubowski with the instigator and 10 min misconduct for starting a fight in the final five minutes of a game. A lively bout, with Atwal gaining the upper hand early, but Yakubowski rebounding and getting the take-down.
Zebra Cage: Brett Montsion and Kevin Bennett .. just as I was turning to my buddy to say that I had no problem with the reffing tonight the wheels fell off. Starting with a bad interference call on a clean check on a player who had just dealt the puck down the boards. A bit of mouthing off by the Giant player and it was a double minor. 2 for interference and two for the official having thin-skin and not knowing what an interference penalty actually looks like. A marginal tripping, which was more of a collision than a trip gave the T-Birds a full 2:00 plus 2 man advantage. A justified kneeing penalty (although who kneed who) extended the two-man advantage even further. A combination of thin-skinned officials and some dumb penalties by the Gs.
The Giants out shot the Seattle squad 36-27. The Giants were 0 for 2 on their PP chances and gave up 1 for 7. Other than maybe the first tally the T-Birds had to work for their goals. The Giants did a very good job shutting down their top players and made a highly touted Mathew Barzal look invisible for most of the night. Hay seemed comfortable rolling his lines and occasionally swapping players in and out of lines who had shown a bit of extra jump in the game.
I still need more out of Cain Franson. He is opting to pass instead of take the shot. He has great vision of the ice, but seems to be content to play a more perimeter game. He is beginning to remind me of the 17 yr old prospect I thought they should have out and out released, a few years back. He proved me wrong, but this season we are getting Cain-light and we need him to be a leader on the score-sheet. When your top scorer is a defenseman (and thankfully he is) then it really is time for the forwards to up their game across the board.
He showed great potential and improvement last season, but Carter Popoff has become one of my favourite Giants players. He sees the ice really well, but is also unafraid to brave the corners and the front of the net. He is scoring timely goals and making some fine assists. He shows up every shift and rarely is just out there skating around. Kudos to you worthy warrior, hopefully you get many more of those wins you so enjoy. Houck has a few levels still to rise, but his game is vastly improved over earlier in the season. I’m not sure if he was disappointed not to get the “C” earlier, but he cannot deny the leadership of Thrower since arriving. Houck will wear the “C” eventually I am sure and if he continues to ramp up his level we could see him bring his game and confidence to another level entirely.
The Giants have almost a week off to practice before heading up for a couple back-to-back in Prince George next weekend. The games will take place on Friday and Saturday. The Giants next home game is on Dec 4th, a Wednesday, where the puck will drop at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Trace Elson
2. Carter Popoff
3. Jackson Houck
Dondo’s Doghouse: the doghouse is empty for this one, a few minor mistakes and lack of full effort in some elements of the line-up do not justify full doghousery for anyone.
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Carter Popoff.. I know Popoff wears my hardhat a lot, but he earns it. Three really good assists and even his second assist would not have ended up a goal had he not separated the player from the puck and get the pass behind the net. He continues to work hard every shift and it is rare that I do not notice him on the ice. 3As, +2, looks pretty good, but it’s the extras and intangibles which get my attention.
Giants Crack Thunderbirds
Vancouver 6 Seattle 3
The Giants opened the first period a bit softly as they allowed an early goal to drift in from the point, but from then on they pulled up the big boy pants and went to work. Tying up the game as few minutes after giving up a marker to the visitors, the boys continued to work at both ends of the ice. The period was evenly contested. In the second the Giants stepped their game up to another level. Scoring two goals before giving one up and adding two more before the end of the period. The T-Birds swapped goalies in the intermission, but the Giants scored again early in the period. Late in the period the T-Birds used multiple 5 on 3 chances to find the net. The G-Men held on only allowing that one goal despite multiple chances gifted to the opposing squad.
The Thunderbirds opened the scoring drifting a shot through traffic from the point and finding twine. The Giants responded a few minutes later when Rob Trzonkowski tipped a Dalton Sward shot past Danny Mumaugh, with Thomas Foster getting the other helper. In the second it was all Giants. Trace Elson scored his first goal of his campaign with the Giants assisted by Carter Popoff and Jackson Houck. A minute and a bit later Popoff and Houck assisted on Brett Kulak’s 10th goal of the season. Seattle got one back, but it didn’t faze the G-Men from battling back. Luca Leone found the back of the net with his first goal of the season, picking the short-side on Mumaugh. Tyler Morrison and Trent Lofthouse garnered the extra points on Leone’s goal. Joel Hamilton bumped his scoring slump to cap off a very prolific period for the home town squad. Cain Franson had the lone helper on the play.
7:18 into the third Jackson Houck found twine powering a beauty from the high slot past Justin Myles. Some great checking work by Popoff in the corner separating the player from the puck gave him the freedom to slide it behind the net where Elson made a quick pass to Houck. On the downside of the third the refs who had been good for most of the game decided to pile on some pretty soft calls giving the visitors multiple over-lapping two man advantages, which thankfully resulted in only a single goal for the Seattle squad. A nice goal at the side of the net freezing the goalie and then slipping the puck behind him and into the net on the short side. The Giants had to weather a few more minutes of 2 man dis-advantage before settling into shutdown mode. The Gs thankfully continued to pressure the puck and did not give the visitors another really good sniff at the net and when they did Jared Rathjen was solid between the pipes. It could have been an ugly finish, but the boys played hard to the last minute and that is all you can ask at the end of the day.
Everybody Out of the Doghouse: Players I have been ragging on as of late played their way out of my doghouse in this one. I am hoping it’s a trend and not just an anomaly. Luca Leone who I had high hopes for coming out of camp has been less than tenacious and basically taking up a roster spot for the most of the games. Tonight he not only scored his first goal of the season, but I noticed him more than I have in any home game so far. Highly touted Junior B sniper Trace Elson has been reportedly buzzing the offensive zone as of late and although I have seen flashes of that I doubted his ability to finish at this level. Elson showed some puck sense tonight with a good goal and a sharp assist, but I also noticed him at the top of the blue-paint, going to the net and providing the screen. He was more than just fast skates tonight. Joel Hamilton is mostly a beige player to me, but he as well had some jump tonight and some good offensive forays. He should be scoring more though as we are currently carrying a lot of 19 yr old forwards and I for one would rather keep the bigger guys for the bottom two lines. I would also like to see our younger skill players playing top six minutes, rather than being shuffled down the line-up due to older players filling some spots. It’s the way of the Dub.
Team Notes: Tim Traber was out of the line-up suspended 1 game for his actions 4 seconds into the Spokane tilt. Rob Trzonkowski was finally healthy enough to be slotted back into the line-up. I feel for the guy. He has size, speed and decent mobility, but has been injury-prone for the better part of the past two seasons. I am hoping he stays healthy and becomes a regular addition to the nightly line-up as he brings a physical element we need.
Rookie Watch: I still want to see Ronning find some real puck hunger. I see flashes of what he has to offer and as a 16 yr old of course I have to be patient, but he has a skill set that is undeniable. I would like to see him pull a page out of the Gallagher book and become not only fearless, but irritatingly tenacious. Elson had a goal and an assist and was doing more little things without the puck out there – including sticking up for his teammates.
Euro Watch: Osipov continues to be scratched and will never learn our game if he doesn’t get to play. That said, he needs to force Hay to play him and give him that chance. The Giants had pretty much the top euro pick and yet there is more press about Benson than what should be a player on everybody’s radar. I keep hearing that Osipov was the KHL first over-all pick and to that I have to say bullshyte. If he was then he would be on the radar of every prospect pundit in the country and yet I have never heard his name outside of the team, before or since. With our pick we should have got a real dominant amazing player, think Meszaros as a 17 yr old as a starting place. I think our scouting has been completely boondoggled. Osipov does not bring an elite game to the ice or even the potential for an elite game. I don’t know what player our scouts watched or if they trusted some hear-say, but this is not the player you pick that high in the euro draft. Eder has been sent back to Munich to hone his game and his hunger. I’m not sure how more soft floaty euro hockey is going to do that, but there it is. Another very suspect pick for near a top pick in the second round.
Import Drafting: It greatly disturbs me the players we got in this years import draft. It can’t be all the threat of a date with Hay that is shying away potential prospects. Our euro drafting has been gawd awful for multiple seasons now and it is past time to completely over-haul our import scouting as we keep getting whiny players not willing to work at this level showing up (being drafted). Caspar Carning was a prime example of a bump in the road lazy player lacking the skill he should have had. He fled for home when it was clear he would have to work hard for his spot and in practice. It feels to me like we have scouts who aren’t actually scouting but calling around and trusting those they should not be trusting to make their decisions for them. If there is a question then go with an already NHL drafted 18 yr old prospect whose team wants him to learn the North American game. It’s clear that our scouting has no clue what a potential player looks like and taking a project import player and stuffing him into the Don Hay blender is just asking for trouble. We are one of the few franchises in the entire CHL who have the resources, infrastructure and where-withal to entice elite players to come to play here. There is no reason that we should not have been able to draft a Yakupov/Ovechkin like player in this years draft and instead we get Osipov. Seriously what is broken? Who needs to get fired?
Fight Night: Some good tilts tonight. Trace Elson v. Jared Hauf - Hauf made an open ice hit on Ronning (clean but hard by my reckoning) and Elson challenged the huge forward to a bout in which Elson was quickly demolished, but that wasn’t the point. Elson seems to be showing those leadership qualities he had being captain on the Wolverines in the AJHL. Another unlikely combatant Thomas Foster v. Scott Eansor – Foster caught the smaller Eansor with two quick solid connections and down he went. Arvin Atwal v. Jaimen Yakubowski - Yakubowski with the instigator and 10 min misconduct for starting a fight in the final five minutes of a game. A lively bout, with Atwal gaining the upper hand early, but Yakubowski rebounding and getting the take-down.
Zebra Cage: Brett Montsion and Kevin Bennett .. just as I was turning to my buddy to say that I had no problem with the reffing tonight the wheels fell off. Starting with a bad interference call on a clean check on a player who had just dealt the puck down the boards. A bit of mouthing off by the Giant player and it was a double minor. 2 for interference and two for the official having thin-skin and not knowing what an interference penalty actually looks like. A marginal tripping, which was more of a collision than a trip gave the T-Birds a full 2:00 plus 2 man advantage. A justified kneeing penalty (although who kneed who) extended the two-man advantage even further. A combination of thin-skinned officials and some dumb penalties by the Gs.
The Giants out shot the Seattle squad 36-27. The Giants were 0 for 2 on their PP chances and gave up 1 for 7. Other than maybe the first tally the T-Birds had to work for their goals. The Giants did a very good job shutting down their top players and made a highly touted Mathew Barzal look invisible for most of the night. Hay seemed comfortable rolling his lines and occasionally swapping players in and out of lines who had shown a bit of extra jump in the game.
I still need more out of Cain Franson. He is opting to pass instead of take the shot. He has great vision of the ice, but seems to be content to play a more perimeter game. He is beginning to remind me of the 17 yr old prospect I thought they should have out and out released, a few years back. He proved me wrong, but this season we are getting Cain-light and we need him to be a leader on the score-sheet. When your top scorer is a defenseman (and thankfully he is) then it really is time for the forwards to up their game across the board.
He showed great potential and improvement last season, but Carter Popoff has become one of my favourite Giants players. He sees the ice really well, but is also unafraid to brave the corners and the front of the net. He is scoring timely goals and making some fine assists. He shows up every shift and rarely is just out there skating around. Kudos to you worthy warrior, hopefully you get many more of those wins you so enjoy. Houck has a few levels still to rise, but his game is vastly improved over earlier in the season. I’m not sure if he was disappointed not to get the “C” earlier, but he cannot deny the leadership of Thrower since arriving. Houck will wear the “C” eventually I am sure and if he continues to ramp up his level we could see him bring his game and confidence to another level entirely.
The Giants have almost a week off to practice before heading up for a couple back-to-back in Prince George next weekend. The games will take place on Friday and Saturday. The Giants next home game is on Dec 4th, a Wednesday, where the puck will drop at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Trace Elson
2. Carter Popoff
3. Jackson Houck
Dondo’s Doghouse: the doghouse is empty for this one, a few minor mistakes and lack of full effort in some elements of the line-up do not justify full doghousery for anyone.
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Carter Popoff.. I know Popoff wears my hardhat a lot, but he earns it. Three really good assists and even his second assist would not have ended up a goal had he not separated the player from the puck and get the pass behind the net. He continues to work hard every shift and it is rare that I do not notice him on the ice. 3As, +2, looks pretty good, but it’s the extras and intangibles which get my attention.